


One Cliché Won't Do

by LostSoulDarlin



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Cliches as Plot, Fluff, Humor, Jim Being an Idiot, M/M, McCoy Being Confused, Spock Being Logical, Spock Gets What He Wants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 09:40:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15264696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostSoulDarlin/pseuds/LostSoulDarlin
Summary: “Is this yours?” he asked, making eye contact and holding the handkerchief to the stranger’s face.“Um no.” the Stranger looked at him with a quirked eyebrow.“Well, it is an unfortunate loss for whomever this belongs to. But it is most strange that it should fall on your shoe and that I noticed it. Perhaps you could call it serendipity.”(Or)What do you do when you want to gain the attention of a stranger you are attracted to?Spock's Logic: Use clichés obviously.





	One Cliché Won't Do

**ONE CLICHÉ WON’T DO**

 

_‘It is illogical.’_ Spock’s mind supplied.

“It most certainly is,” he said out loud to no one in particular.

Walking briskly towards the subway with a white-knuckled grip on his briefcase, he tried to listen to his logical mind and continue doing what he had been for the past two weeks: ignore the attractive stranger. Or, just watch from afar and _do not engage_.

But that morning, Spock felt his intuition urging him to do something. Anything to get the serious looking (and undeniably handsome) stranger to notice him.

When he reached the station, he took a deep breath and checked his reflection in his phone. He looked impeccable as always, not a hair out of place. He looked his part as a merciless professor who wouldn’t blink an eye while failing a teary eyed student for a 0.6% difference.

He looked around, and his breath hitched when he caught sight of the person standing a few feet to his right. The stranger looked tired, sighing into his coffee like it is a life-saver. Spock grimaced. He never liked coffee.

The stranger loosely held his white briefcase, and had his white coat draped over his arm. His hazel eyes scanned the overflowing subway with a frown. The stranger's train was the next one. Spock had observed before that it was one train before his. Looking at the display, he realized he had five minutes to act.

All the illogical movies Nyota and Jim had made him watch proved useful after all. He took out his handkerchief and tossed it discreetly towards the stranger’s feet.

It fell on his shoe.

Oh well. He could improvise.

The stranger seemed to notice and was about to bend down to pick it up, but Spock was faster. He bent down to pick it up, shocking the stranger to take a step back.

“What the—”

“Is this yours?” he asked, making eye contact and holding the handkerchief to the stranger’s face.

“Um no.” the Stranger looked at him with a quirked eyebrow.

“Well, it is an unfortunate loss for whomever this belongs to. But it is most strange that it should fall on your shoe and that I noticed it. Perhaps you could call it serendipity.”

The stranger looked a little alarmed now. “What are you blabbering—” The arrival of the train stopped him mid-sentence and he made a dismissing motion with his hand. “Just, keep it as a souvenir or whatever.”

He stepped around Spock to get into the crowded train.

Spock tilted his head, thinking about what went wrong. Maybe he shouldn’t have said everything and left a few things to be implied. He will remember that for the next day.

He also felt a deep yearning to hear that gruff voice again, in different settings, some inappropriate for early morning thoughts.

_Fascinating_.

…

Spock was better prepared today. He browsed through a series of romantic descriptions and found one event that always seemed to spark an interest between two people.

From his peripheral vision, he found the stranger in his usual stance with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand, scrolling through something on his phone.

Spock walked a few paces to the front and side, acted like he was checking something on the tracks, and then turned back, heading towards the stranger.

Feigning an ankle twist, he dramatically fell forward, watching the stranger’s eyes widen in surprise. Just when Spock was expecting strong arms to support him, the person moved away from his vision and he fell forward. Instinct made his hands come up flat and his face was saved from being smashed onto the platform.

“Damn it! Are you alright?” the man sounded worried.

Spock looked up to see a hand being offered to him. He took it and stood up. He was unhurt but confused.

“I am fine. But confused. Are you not supposed to hold someone so that they don’t fall? Why did you step aside?”

“I was holding hot coffee! We both would have been seriously burned,” the stranger looked defensive, but apologetic.

“Hm, interesting. I must admit, I did not see that coming. Maybe I should consider the surroundings while planning a scenario,” he mumbled, making a metal list and walking away, leaving the stranger baffled.

…

“Okay, but just for the record, this is gonna be a ‘I told you so’ moment. I am a hundred percent sure about it,” Jim said, and then stopped talking when a huge yawn interrupted him.

Having some peace to think, Spock went through his idea. It seemed like the best kind. Only, maybe Jim wasn’t the right person for it. Too late for the change now. Jim will have to do.

They reached the station and Jim said he would do a ‘loose follow’.

Standing at his usual spot, he looked at the stranger. He was looking at him, and Spock quickly averted his eyes. Best to act fast. He placed his briefcase on the platform and coughed. That was their agreed upon signal. When Jim didn’t come immediately, Spock was worried that he dozed off at some corner.

But then, there he was, bending down to snatch his briefcase and run towards his right, where the stranger was standing.

“My briefcase," Spock said. It was more of a statement than an exclamation and it fell flat even to his ears. He got the stranger’s attention though, along with few others’ in the vicinity. Luckily, Jim overplayed to sell his underplayed act.

“Ah ha! I have your briefcase and I am not going to return it. Who is going to save you?” Jim then coupled it with a laugh, which Spock supposed must have been evil.

The stranger was looking on at the scene with a slack jaw. He didn’t move to help.

Jim looked at the stranger and grinned. “Will it be this handsome stranger who will help you? Will he abandon his coffee and come take this briefcase I am holding in my hand so loosely it will only take a yank?” Jim was now waving it before the stranger’s face, accompanied by another unconvincing laugh.

The stranger reflexively grabbed it. Jim left it and heaved a dramatic sigh. “I better get out of here before the cops come for me. Adios lovely stranger. I will come back for you, Mr. Spock!”

He ran towards the exit, and Spock hoped it was his eyes playing tricks on him when he saw Jim clicking his heels.

He was still reeling from the act when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see the stranger holding his briefcase. His eyes looked to be sparkling with held amusement.  

“I believe this is yours, Mr. Spock?”

He opened his mouth to ask how he knew his name, but realized Jim had slipped that information at the end of his act. Oh well.

“Yes, it is, thank you…?”

“McCoy. Leonard McCoy,” he said with a grin.

“Mr. McCoy. You have helped me a lot. That briefcase contained a lot of important information. For your help, I would like to offer you some—” his offer of coffee was cutoff by the loud conversations of people getting off the train.

“Not a big deal. I am sure I’ll see you tomorrow. I gotta go now. It was nice meeting you, and your friend,” McCoy said with a wink and moved towards the train.

Well, it was not a success but at least he got a name.

…

Spock was frowning when he walked to the station. He was worried. Jim did not stop ranting about how good-looking McCoy was and he ‘can’t believe no one is hitting that ass’.

Spock didn’t even consider that his focus of attraction may not be single.

With a determined set of his shoulders, he decided to stick with his plan.

When he glanced at the usual place, McCoy was tapping away on his phone. But as if feeling his gaze, he looked and waved his hand, his lips pulling into a smile.

Spock’s eyes widened, and he felt his heat rate pick up. He returned the wave and quickly turned away.

He gathered up courage and took out the movie tickets he booked this morning. It was a sci-fi movie about space exploration and, according to critics, ‘a sound adventure film’.

He briskly walked to McCoy and, when the man quirked an eyebrow, held them out to him. “These are two movie tickets. For the help you have done yesterday. I hope you and your partner will enjoy the movie.”

McCoy snorted. “So, we are sticking with the act that the blue-eyed menace wasn’t your friend, eh?”

“I do not know what you are talking about.”

“Yeah, right.” McCoy shook his head and took the tickets. “And this is not a ploy to know whether I am single or not.”

“You are mistaken—”

“Cut the horseshit, Mr.Spock. Your knowledge of clichés and how you use them worries me a bit, but not enough to say no.”

When Spock remained stoic, McCoy rolled his eyes. “Alright, let’s do this your way. Mr. Spock, I don’t have a partner I could go to the movies with, so would you like to accompany me, so these won’t go wasted?”

“As that would be the logical thing to do, I accept.”

“Unbelievable,” McCoy muttered with a shake of his head. “I will meet you at the theatre tonight then. And please, for the love of God, tell me these are not corner seats.”

“It seemed the most logical option.”

McCoy groaned, but Spock could see the smile.

All in all, a hundred percent success.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first take on Spock and McCoy. Hope you liked it! Please leave a comment to say what you thought!


End file.
